Zionist Indian regime bans Kashmir newspaper amid unrest

Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir have banned the publication of a local newspaper after accusing it of inciting violence in the disputed Himalayan region.

The order, handed down by police officials to the office of the English daily Kashmir Reader, said the paper’s contents are “of such nature that can easily cause incitement of acts of violence and disturbance of public tranquility in the state.”

Authorities said they had sent the newspaper a notice a week ago questioning some items it had published.

However, Hilal Mir, the newspaper’s editor, said on Tuesday that his paper was not given an opportunity to explain its stand.

“There was no prior notice or communication from the government,” Mir said, adding, “If there was a problem with the content, they could have sought an explanation from us.”

The move comes weeks after local authorities briefly banned the publication of all newspapers across the Muslim-majority region and stopped Internet services.

Journalists have staged a rally in Srinagar, the region’s main city to protest the ban, calling it a violation of press freedom.

The human rights group Amnesty International in a statement on Tuesday said that the ban was a “setback to free speech” and called on authorities to revoke the order.

“The government has a duty to respect the freedom of the press, and the right of people to receive information,” the international rights group said, adding, “It cannot shut down a newspaper simply for being critical of the government.”

Meanwhile, Aakar Patel, who heads the Indian chapter of Amnesty International, also said that the “order does not specifically mention any news items in Kashmir Reader that incited violence.”

“This vaguely-worded shutdown order suggests that the newspaper is being targeted for its reporting,” Patel noted.

The developments come as the restive Muslim-majority region has witnessed an increase in mass protests since early July, when Burhan Wani, a top figure in a pro-independence group, was killed in a shootout with Indian troops.